BTS 45-15 Tuesday, September 29, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568
BTS Releases July 2015 North American Freight Numbers
The value of U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $93.0 billion in July 2015 as all modes except air carried less freight than in July 2014, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by theU.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows by all modes decreased by 8.0 percent. Large decreases in the value of commodities moved by pipeline and vessel in July were due to the reduced unit price of mineral fuel.
Freight by Mode
In July 2015 compared to July 2014, the value of commodities moving by air increased by 3.4 percent, while truck decreased by 0.6 percent and rail by 14.5 percent. Vessel freight values decreased by 26.3 percent and pipeline freight decreased by 34.8 percent mainly due to the lower unit price of mineral fuel.
Average monthly fuel prices are available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A decline in the value of freight shipments does not necessarily mean there was a lower volume of freight transported.
Trucks carried 63.9 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and are the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $30.0 billion of the $49.2 billion of imports (61.0 percent) and $29.4 billion of the $43.8 billion of exports (67.1 percent).
Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 13.7 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 7.3 percent; pipeline, 6.0 percent; and air, 3.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.7 percent of the total U.S.-NAFTA freight flows.
U.S.-Canada Freight The value of U.S.-Canada freight totaled $47.5 billion in July 2015, down 14.0 percent from July 2014, as no mode of transportation carried a higher value of U.S.-Canada freight than a year earlier.
Lower mineral fuel prices contributed to a year-over-year decrease in the value of freight moved between the U.S. and Canada. Mineral fuels are a large share of freight carried by vessel and pipeline, which were down 28.3 percent and 36.4 percent respectively year-over-year.
Trucks carried 57.5 percent of the $47.5 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail, 14.3 percent; pipeline, 11.0 percent; vessel, 5.2 percent; and air, 4.7 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.8 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows.
U.S.-Mexico Freight The value of U.S.-Mexico freight totaled $45.5 billion in July 2015, down 0.8 percent from July 2014, as only two out of five transportation modes – air and truck – carried more U.S.-Mexico freight than in July 2014. Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-Mexico air freight rose 9.5 percent, the largest percentage increase of any mode. Freight carried by truck increased by 4.7 percent. Pipeline freight was down 4.6 percent and rail freight declined 8.5 percent. Vessel freight decreased by 25.1 mainly due to lower mineral fuel price.
Trucks carried 70.6 percent of the $45.5 billion of freight to and from Mexico, followed by rail, 13.1 percent; vessel, 9.5 percent; air, 3.0 percent; and pipeline, 0.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.6 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows.
See BTS Transborder Data Release for summary tables and additional data. See North American Transborder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004. You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
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BTS Releases July 2015 North American Freight Numbers
DEA’s 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day: September 26, 2015
DEA’s 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, to be held on Saturday, September 26, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. This is a great opportunity for those who missed previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to dispose of those medications easily and safely. For more information, including a Collection Site Locator and a Partnership Toolbox, please visit DEA's website http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html.
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BTS Releases 2nd Quarter 2015 Airline Financial Data
BTS 44-15 Monday, September 21, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568 BTS Releases 2nd Quarter 2015 Airline Financial Data
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines reported an after-tax net profit of $5.5 billion in the second quarter of 2015, up from $3.1 billion in the first quarter of 2015 and up from $3.6 billion in the second quarter of 2014, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today.
The 26 U.S. scheduled service passenger airlines reported an after-tax net profit as a group for the ninth consecutive quarter.
In addition to the after-tax net profit of $5.5 billion based on net income reports, the scheduled service passenger airlines reported $8.2 billion in pre-tax operating profit in the second quarter of 2015, up from $5.1 billion in the first quarter of 2015 and up from $5.5 billion in the second quarter of 2014. The airlines reported a pre-tax operating profit - as a group - for the 17th consecutive quarter.
Net income and operating profit or loss are two different measures of airline financial performance. Net income or loss may include non-operating income and expenses, nonrecurring items or income taxes. Operating profit or loss is calculated from operating revenues and expenses before taxes and other nonrecurring items.
Total operating revenue for all U.S. passenger airlines in the April-June second-quarter of 2015 was $43.9 billion. Airlines collected $33.2 billion from fares, 75.7 percent of total second-quarter operating revenue.
Total operating expenses for all passenger airlines in the second-quarter of 2015 were $35.8 billion, of which fuel costs accounted for $7.9 billion, or 22.1 percent, and labor costs accounted for $11.0 billion, or 30.7 percent.
In the second quarter, passenger airlines collected a total of $962 million in baggage fees, 2.2 percent of total operating revenue, and $773 million from reservation change fees, 1.8 percent of total operating revenue. Fees are included for calculations of net income, operating revenue and operating profit or loss.
Baggage fees and reservation change fees are the only ancillary fees paid by passengers that are reported to BTS as separate items. Other fees, such as revenue from seating assignments and on-board sales of food, beverages, pillows, blankets, and entertainment are combined in different categories and cannot be identified separately.
See BTS Airline Financials Release for summary tables and additional data. See airline financial data press releases and the airline financial databases for historic data.
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Foxx: Richmond-to-Raleigh High-Speed Rail Proposal Receives All Clear
FRA 17-15 Friday, September 18, 2015 Contact: FRA Public Affairs Tel.: (202) 493-6024
Foxx: Richmond-to-Raleigh High-Speed Rail Proposal Receives All Clear WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia announced today that they have signed off on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Richmond to Raleigh (R2R) passenger rail line along the Southeast Corridor. The completion of the FEIS is one of the final steps necessary before construction of the project can move forward once funding is secured. “Without a strong passenger rail system, the Southeast’s growth will be choked by congestion for a very long time,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “North Carolina, Virginia and the Department of Transportation have worked together to bring us closer to high-speed rail connecting Richmond and Raleigh, and I urge everyone involved to continue pushing this effort forward. High-speed rail in this region is not a luxury but a necessity.” The 162-mile route between the two cities would utilize existing and former rail lines for approxim
“Today brings us closer to breaking ground on this critical project for one of the fastest growing areas of the country. The project will improve safety and reliability, reduce the travel time between Richmond and Raleigh, and increase opportunity for jobs and growth in the Southeast,” FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg said.
A recent U.S. Department of Transportation report, Beyond Traffic, in turn found that our country will add 70 million more people by 2045, and that the Southeast will indeed absorb a significant portion of that growth. The FEIS includes responses to comments from citizens, elected officials, residents, businesses and other stakeholders that have been involved in the process. To read the FEIS, visit http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17056
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BTS Releases June 2015 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
BTS 42-15 Friday, September 11, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568 BTS Releases June 2015 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that U.S. airlines’ systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service load factor – a measure of the use of airline capacity – rose to 83.2 percent in June, seasonally adjusted, after remaining unchanged for two consecutive months. Seasonal adjustment allows the comparing of monthly load factors to all other months.
For June, U.S. airlines reported seasonally-adjusted all-time monthly highs in passenger enplanements, Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) and Available Seat-Miles (ASMs). Systemwide passenger enplanements in June (66.0 million) exceeded the previous record in May 2015 by 0.2 percent. Systemwide RPMs in June (74.8 billion) exceeded the previous record in May 2015 by 0.4 percent. Systemwide ASMs in June (89.9 billion) exceeded the previous record in May 2015 by 0.1 percent. These all-time highs resulted in a higher load factor in June because the growth in passenger travel exceeded the growth in airline capacity.
The June load factor of 83.2 was below the all-time seasonally-adjusted high of 84.5 in January 2014. Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares the system use, measured in Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) as a proportion of system capacity, measured in Available Seat-Miles (ASMs).
The seasonally-adjusted load factor rose in June after having remained stable at 82.9 in April and May. The load factor rose from May to June because passenger travel grew faster (0.4 percent increase in RPMs) than system capacity (0.1 percent increase in ASMs).
Trends: Seasonally-adjusted Since peaking in early 2014, load factor has varied from a high of 83.8 in May 2014 to a low of 82.6 in November 2014. The June load factor (83.2) continued that pattern. June was the fourth consecutive month in which RPMs, ASMs and passenger enplanements reached seasonally-adjusted all-time highs.
Unadjusted Systemwide: June load factor (86.4) was down from the all-time June high set in 2013 (87.0). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for any June.
Domestic: June load factor (87.4) equaled the all-time high for the month of June set in 2014. The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for any June.
International: June load factor (84.4) was down from the all-time June high set in 2013 (86.9). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for any June.
For the first half of 2014, January through June, load factor (82.9) was down from the all-time high set in 2014 (83.2). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for the first six months of any year.
See Air Traffic Release for summary tables and additional data. Additional traffic data can be found on the BTS Airlines and Airports page. Click on a link in the Quick Links box on the right. See Load factor, RPMs, ASMs and Passengers. For more historical data, see Traffic on the BTS website. See Seasonal Adjustment for methodology and additional explanation. See data for airline data since 2000 as well as seasonally-adjusted data for rail, transit, pipelines, trucking and waterways.
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